By Mary Ann Bourbeau
RED BANK – Season 19 Champion Alfonso Ribeiro will headline the “Dancing with the Stars: Live! Tour,” which makes a stop at the Count Basie Theatre for two 90-minute shows on Sunday, Jan. 11.
In addition to hosting, Ribeiro – who played Carlton Banks on the television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” – will show off his dance moves with Witney Carson, the partner with whom he won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy in November.
Viewers of the television show will enjoy watching some of its most popular dancers perform never-before-seen numbers and recreate some of the show’s most memorable moments. Along with Carson, professional dancers Mark Ballas, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Emma Slater, Kym Johnson, Keo Motsepe and Sasha Farber will showcase their skills on stage during the 39-city tour. With a format that includes a Q&A session, fans will get to experience the show they love in a totally different way.
“The audience loves the interaction between the performers and the crowd,” said Chmerkovskiy. “They also enjoy the musical performances.”
So what do Chmerkovskiy and the other dancers like about taking part in the tour?
“Performing for our fans and getting to interact with our audience,” Chmerkovskiy said.
The show is presented by the Count Basie Theatre and AEG Live. Showtimes are 4 and 8 p.m. and tickets are $45 to $95.
The Basie is also hosting a show for kids at 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. The Kratt brothers will present their all-new theatrical stage show, “Wild Kratts Live!” based on the hit animated PBS Kids’ television series “Wild Kratts.” The Emmy-nominated show aims to educate children about biology, zoology and ecology, and teach them small ways to make big impacts. The Kratt Brothers were also the creative force behind the Emmy-Award winning preschool series “Zoboomafoo,” another animal education show featuring a talking lemur.
In “Wild Kratts Live!,” Martin and Chris Kratt will engage the audience in story in which they receive a message about an animal in trouble from a member of their worldwide network of Wild Kratts kids. The brothers are off to rescue the animal in need. Of course, as in the television show, there will be lots of pratfalls and slapstick fun. But the kids will also learn amazing facts about animals presented through large-screen, multimedia video footage.
Tickets for “Wild Kratts Live!” start at $20. VIP tickets are $65 and include a post-show meet and greet. For more information, visit www.countbasietheatre.org.
Vibe writer Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworivertimes.com.
